Wednesday, November 06, 2013

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart said throughout his life that opera was his true calling. Some of his greatest works and most memorable melodies were written for operas like The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute. Part of Mozart’s operatic greatness rested with his uncanny ability to create whole words of distinct characters, each portrayed with enough detail, care and sympathy to make them feel very real.

On this first of four one-hour programs on Mozart and the Opera, conductor and composer Matt Aucoin takes a closer look at the composer’s gift for covering a wide emotional range. Aucoin surveys the landscape with arias from The Marriage of Figaro as well as an ensemble from Idomeneo. We also hear echoes of Mozart’s genius for opera in selections from his piano concertos.

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Comments [1]

Fred
from Queens

These music appreciation programs have become wearisome. How about less talk and playing pieces in their entirety? WQXR, broaden your playlist and programming if you really want to educate and entertain your listeners.

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About Month of Mozart

Mozart is arguably the most admired and most adapted composer in the history of Western music. He has the most recordings (nearly 10,000 in print and has been referenced endlessly in popular culture. His life has been filtered through many theories of genius and creativity – some plausible, others outlandish. Unlike many composers, Mozart has never gone out of fashion, in part because his music has come to stand for so many aspects of classical music. Throughout November, WQXR celebrates Mozart's work through concert broadcasts, multimedia projects, marathons and other features.